The Yukon Community Pilot (YCP)

After receiving a provincial nomination, often applicants have to wait more than a year to have their permanent residence application processed at the federal level. During this time, certain PNP streams enable candidates to apply for a closed work permit, enabling them to work for a single employer in the province while awaiting a decision on their PR.

The YCP gives Yukon nominees an added flexibility, as instead of having their work permit tied to a single employer, work permits are tied to a specific community. This way, nominees can work for multiple employers and take on multiple part-time jobs to support themselves and help fill the labour needs of the communities in question.

The innovative nature of this pilot is one of several innovative immigration pilot programs created in the past several years to support Canada’s rural and northern communities. This trend was spearheaded by the Atlantic Immigration Pilot, but has been expanded through the Rural and Northern Immigration Pilot and the Ontario Regional Pilot.

One of our recommended Canadian immigration consultants, Canada Abroad, has put together this informative video that will help you understand if the YCP could be an option:

• be destined to a job location in a participating community in the Yukon
• have 2 to 3 job offers with up to 3 employers that will allow them to accumulate 1,560 hours in a single year (equivalent to annual full-time work), within the same participating Yukon community

Participating communities in the Yukon are:

• Carcross
• Carmacks
• Dawson City
• Haines Junction
• Watson Lake
• Whitehorse

If you meet these eligibility requirements, you can submit an application for a community-based work permit through the Yukon Community Pilot.

How to apply for the Yukon Community Pilot (YCP)?

If you are eligible for a YCP work permit, you can submit a work permit application online using a two-year open work permit restricted by location under an LMIA-exemption code (subsection R205a).

With your application you must include a copy of your provincial nomination certificate from the Yukon as well as written confirmation from the Yukon that you are eligible for a YCP community-based work permit.

If the application is successful, you will be issued a two-year open work permit restricted by location to one of the participating communities. If your permanent residence application takes longer than two years to process and your work permit is set to expire you may be eligible to apply for an extension.

Can your spouse or partner get a work permit through YCP?

If the main applicant on the provincial nominee application is working in at least one occupation in the Yukon at National Occupational Classification (NOC) skill level 0, 1, 2, or 3, then this person’s spouse or common-law partner is eligible to apply for a spousal open work permit (SOWP). The SOWP will also be an open work permit restricted to a community participating in the YCP.

To get help with your immigration application, consider booking a consultation with one of our recommended Canadian immigration consultants.